Culinary device.



H. R. FRENCH.

CULINARY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1909.

1,010,887. Patented Dec.5 ,1911.

UNITED AT ;1 .ATENT OFFICE. i

HELEN R. FRENCH, OF PHILADELPHIA,'PENNSYLVANIA.

CULINARY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Application filed July 9, 1909. Serial No. 506,689.

- I To all whom it'may concern:

sirable in cases wherein an omelet, hashed brown potatoes, grlddle cakes and s1m1lar articles are to be turned, so that the same are properly cooked and brownedto the desired extent on both sides.

My invention further consists of a novel construction of a culinary device wherein a sectionalbottom is provided which is pivotally mounted within the pan in such a manner that when one side or the other is folded over it will assume a position substantially I parallel to the portion which has remained in its normal position.

My invention further consists of a novel I construction of culinary device wherein a partitioning member isemployed, in close proximity to which two bottom members are movably mounted in such a manner that when in their normal position the food supporting surface thereof lies in the same horif zontal plane and when one or the other of the bottom members is raised and folded over it assumes a position substantially parallel with the other bottom member.

' .My invention. further consists of a novel manner of movably securing the movable bottom members with respect to the sides of the pan.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth. v

For the purpose of. illustrating my invention I have shown in the. accompanying drawings the embodiments thereof which in practice will give satisfactory and reliable results although it is of course to be understood that the various instrumentalitiesof which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is. not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities. as herein set forth.

' Figure 1 represents a perspective View of 1 a culinary device embodying my invention. 1 Fig. 2 represents a section on line war, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line :Z/LZ/, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a sectional elevation of another embodiment of my invention. Fig. 5 represents a sectional elevation j of another embodiment of my invention. 5 Fig. 6 represents a sectional elevation of another embodiment of my invention. Fig. F 7 represents a plan view of a portion of one Z of the movable bottom members in detached position. Fig. 8 represents a sectionon line f zz, Fig. 2. Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding'parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings :1' designates a culinary device embodying my invention, the same consisting of a pan provided with sides 2 and a bottom 3, which are integral therewith or secured thereto in any desired :manner, it being understood that the pan has secured thereto in any suitable manner i a suitable handle 4, whereby the device may be readily moved. a portion of the handle being preferably formed of heat insulating material.

bodiment seen in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises .a central strip 5 having depending sides 6which are seated on the bottom '3 of the pan, the ends of the strip 5bei1'ig suitably m ounted as indicated at 7, thereby'adapting the same to be seated in a recess 8, preferably in the side 2 of the pan, as will be The food supporting surface in the emmost clearly understood by reference to Fig. I S." 9 and 10 designate sectional bottom ineni- 1 bers located on opposite sides of'the strip 5 and in close proximity thereto, each member 9 and10 being provided'with the lugs or journals 11, which are seated in recesses 12 formed by deflecting the sides of the pan 2. The sectional bottom member 9 has movably connected therewith an actuating handle 13 and the movable bottom member 10 has suitably connected theiewithahandle 1 1, it being noted that these two handles 1' are out of aline-ment so that either of the bottom members 9 or 10 may befolded over into close proximity to the other member. 15 designates a' curved recess or'track on the side 2 in which thejournals 11 are adapted to travel when one side is'folded over upon the other. v

In the embodiment seen in Fig. at the intermediate strip 16 is suitably supported at its ends ina similar manner to that shown in Fig. 2, it being seen that when the strip 5 is simply supported at its ends, a chamber 17 is formed which extends from one side of the pan to the other.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 5, instead of employing the strip 5, which has its sides deflected to contact with the bottom 3 of the pan, I employ a partitioning member 18 of minimum width to which the members 19 and 20 are pivoted, said member 18 being preferably removably secured within the pan.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 6 I dispense with the central partitioning member and provide a food supporting surface, consisting of two bottom members 21 and 22, which are provided with the journals 23 and 24 respectively, which are adapted to travel in the vertical slots 25 and 26, it being noted that in this embodiment the food supporting members are shown as being supported directly on the bottom 3 of the pan, although it will be apparent that if desired they may be supported above the bottom of the pan in order that a chamber may be formed between the bottom of the pan and the food supporting member.

The operation of my novel device will now be readily apparent: Referring first to the embodiment seen in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that when it is desired to fold over the articles supported on the bottom member 9, the handle 13 will be actuated, whereby the journals 11 will travel in the curved guide 15, so that the food supported thereon will be folded over on to the other sectional bottom member 10 and by my novel construction when the member 9 or the member 10 is folded over with respect to the other it will assume a position substantially parallel with the food supporting member, which is in its normal position so that the article which has been folded will be of substantially uniform thickness throughout.

' When it is desired to cleanse the device it is simply necessary to lift the bottom members 9 and 10, whereupon the journals or lugs 11 will be disengaged from the recesses 12 coacting therewith and the central partitioning member 15, in a similar manner, may be removed from the pan by causing the lugs 7 to become disengaged with the co-acting recesses or depressions in the sides 2 of the pan.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 5, it will be apparent that owing to the manner in which the food supporting member 19 is pivoted with respect to the food supporting member 20, that when one member is folded over upon the other, they will lie in a substantially parallel plane.

In the embodiment seen in Fig. 6 I have dispensed with the curved guide and employed in lieu thereof vertical guides so that when it is desired to fold over the article which is being cooked, it is simply necessary to move upwardly one of the food support ing members, as for example, the member 21, then move the same laterally and when said member 21 is then moved downwardly, it will assume the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be apparent that in all the embodiments of my invention herein shown, the food supporting members are located wholly within the pan and are adapted to interlock therewith in such a manner that they may readily be removed thereby enabling me to produce a culinary device which may be kept in a sanitary condition at all times.

It will be further apparent that although in the present instance I have preferred to show the food supporting members as interlocked with the sides of the pan, that in the broad scope of my invention they may interlock with any portion of the pan, such as for example, the bottom thereof and still be within the spirit and scope of my invention.

It will be further apparent that in the bro-ad scope of my invention it is immaterial whether the food supporting members rest directly on the bottom of the pan 3 or are above such bottom, since the operation is the same in both cases and whether I employ a curved guide such as 15 for the movable food supporting members or vertical guides such as 25 and 26, it will be apparent that in all cases I am enabled to fold each of the food supporting members toward the other, so that the article being cooked when folded will be of substantially uniform thickness.

It will be apparent that if desired the central partitioning strip and the food supporting side strips may be wholly removed from the pan and the pan comprising the sides 2 and the bottom 3 be employed in the usual manner, for the cooking of any desired articles.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the in vention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character stated, a pan consisting of sides and a bottom, said sides having oppositely situated upwardly and laterally extending communicating recesses therein and a sectional food supporting bottom, each section of which is provided with journals seated in said recesses whereby either section may be folded over the other.

2. In a device of the character described, a pan consisting of sides said sides having recesses therein and a bottom secured to said sides, a central partitioning member having ends adapted to rest in said recesses whereby the said member is removably secured within the pan and forming a portion of the food supporting surface of the pan, a plurality of food supporting members removably secured within the pan and having their food supporting surface normally in the same plane as said partitioning member, and means for turning each of said plurality of members toward the other.

3. In a device of the character described, a pan consisting of sides and a bottom connected thereto, and having recesses on opposite sides thereof, a partitioning member adapted to removably interlock with said recesses, said partitioning member forming a portion of the food supporting surface of the pan, food supporting members provided with lugs and said pan having other recesses co-acting with said lugs, and a curved guide communicating with said first named recesses, whereby when the food supporting member on one side of said member is folded over above the other member, it will be brought into a position substantially parallel with such member.

4. In a device of the character described, a pan consisting of sides and a bottom connected therewith and a sectional food supporting bottom removably secured within said pan, said bottom comprising a partitioning member adapted to interlock with said pan and food supporting members, each having its inner edge normally in close proximity to said partitioning member, lugs carried by said food supporting members, said pan having recesses with which said lugs engage, and said pan having means thereon whereby said lugs are permitted to move upwardly and laterally when either of said food supporting members is turned toward the other member.

5. In a device of the character described, a pan consisting of sides and a bottom integral therewith, a sectional food supporting bottom pivotally supported wholly within said pan, a handle secured to each bottom section and out of alinement with the handle on the other section, and the sides of said pan having upwardly and laterally extending tracks oppositely situated there within and in which is fulcrumed said sectional bottom for permitting the upward and lateral movement of the pivotal point of each of said sections without the latter becoming disengaged from the pan.

6. In a device of the character described, a pan consisting of sides and a bottom connected therewith, said sides having recesses therein on opposite sides, a partitioning member having lugs removably secured to said recesses, side food supporting members contained within the pan and normally in the same plane as the upper surface of said partitioning member and provided with lugs, the sides of said pan having recesses co-acting with said lugs and said pan having means co -acting with said lugs, whereby said side members may be moved upwardly and laterally when one side member is folded over toward the other side member. I

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

